solar.coolerplanet.com
August 27, 2009
The latest effort to store clean power from wind and solar energy resources comes from California, where a leading utility is hoping to put emerging technology to work. A report in the San Francisco Chronicle describes how Pacific Gas and Electric is working on a facility in rural Kern County that would transform the energy from clean power resources into compressed air that would be stored underground and then used to power turbines.
The utility has reportedly applied for a $25 million federal grant to develop the technology, which has also been tested in places like Alabama and Germany. According to the newspaper, the utility envisions producing about 300 MWs of energy for as long as 10 hours, which be especially useful during nighttime hours when wind levels are at their lowest.
Some solar thermal facilities in California and elsewhere use molten salt to maintain heat levels and keep turbines running, hours after the sun has set. By increasing the storage capacity and time for solar energy and wind energy, it will resolve one issue that the industry has long been working to improve upon.
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